Ferran Torres said his World Cup-winning goal for Spain on Sunday belonged to “47 million people, not just me or the 26 players”.
The Barcelona forward scored in the second period of extra-time as Spain finally broke down 10-man Argentina to win 1-0 at the MetLife Stadium.
“Ultimately, the goal belongs to 47 million people — not just me or the 26 players,” said Torres, referring to Spain’s approximate population.
“It was written in the stars that we would win far away from our people, yet we made them feel as close as possible,” added Torres, who was named player of the match despite coming off the bench.
“It’s a huge sense of relief. I faced a lot of criticism during the World Cup, but destiny is written. Thank God, who always gives me the strength to keep going.”
He admitted it had been tough to win Spain’s second World Cup to add to their first triumph in 2010.
“All finals are difficult, and when you have (Lionel) Messi in the other team, there is always some nervousness. But in the end we have always relied on ourselves, on our game, and we showed that again today,” Torres said.
The European champions dominated the match at the MetLife Stadium but struggled to find a breakthrough against the streetwise defending champions.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a string of saves to deny Spain, but the match changed complexion in second-half stoppage-time when midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card after a reckless tackle on Pau Cubarsi.
Extra-time followed a familiar pattern, with Spain probing for the opening goal against a deep-lying Argentina.
The breakthrough eventually came in the early moments of the second period of extra-time when substitute Torres finished crisply following a brilliant knock-back by Nico Williams.
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain conceded just one goal in seven matches on their way to the final, suffocating opponents with their slick possession game.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina battled their way through the knockout rounds, coming back from the dead against Egypt and recovering from a goal down to beat England in the semi-finals.
